Final answer:
The three divisions in Dante's 'The Divine Comedy' are called 'cantica', and they consist of 'Inferno', 'Purgatorio', and 'Paradiso'.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term for each of the three divisions in Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy is referred to as a cantica. The epic poem is divided into three distinct sections: Inferno (Hell), Purgatorio (Purgatory), and Paradiso (Paradise). This tripartite structure can be compared to earlier visions of the afterlife, such as Virgil's, as depicted in the Aeneid. In this ancient work, there's also a separation of the afterlife into distinct realms for sinners, those in purgatory, and the blessed. In Dante's work, each cantica delves deep into the spiritual journey of souls through these realms, with the poet himself being the central character led by the guide Virgil through Inferno and Purgatorio, and by Beatrice through Paradiso.
In keeping with the poem's elaborate structure, the verse itself is also structurally significant, making use of the tercet or three-line stanza following an interlocking rhyme scheme (ABA, BCB, CDC, and so on).